Tony Brett’s magical act part of a packed highlights reel

By Pat McLeod

Feature race magician Tony Brett has emerged from the shadows as a major player with the 2024 Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival moving up a gear at Albion Park on Thursday night.

After having a complete break from the sport for five months, the maestro mentor has gone from having no race dogs in his kennels just a few weeks ago to qualifying the fastest two heat winners through to the Final of the Group 1 Flying Amy Classic over 520 metres. 

But, Brett’s wizardry was just one highlight of an enthralling night of racing at ‘HQ’, which involved six heats of the Flying Amy Classic and five heats of the newly named Group 2 Cyndie’s Magic over 600 metres.

Already tagged as ‘the best-ever’ Queensland greyhound carnival because of the influx of star interstate chasers, the Winter Carnival head liners appeared thick and fast on Thursday night.

Three of the biggest names, Palawa King (trained by Jack Smith), Morton (Jason Sharp) and Mackenna (Michelle Sultana) did not progress past the heats in the carnival under card races.

However, all three are expected to figure prominently in other carnival features.

“That was a super run. She used box one to perfection,” Brett said after Lakeview Emily had posted the quickest Flying Amy heat time (29.72 seconds).

“She only trialled steady here, so to see her rattle off a time like that, I am rapt.

“This Final field will be too tough for anyone to be overly confident. It is just a case of trying to get her to do the same thing again. She is there and she has gone way better than I expected.”

His sentiments were similar after Pronouns won the following heat in 29.77 seconds.

“That was a really nice run,” Brett said.

“The owner (well-known NSW Northern Rivers greyhound identity Pat Lavis) has been on to me saying ‘she is a very good bitch, a very good bitch.’

“I was selling her a bit short against the superstars that she was up against. She has got a little motor in her alright.”

Brett must now conjure something just as spectacular for next week’s Flying Amy Final, with his heat winners moving from box one to ‘the car park’ for the Final - Pronouns (box seven) and Lakeview Emily (box eight).

In fact, all but one Flying Amy heat winner (Tattooed from box two) came out of the red alley.

Meanwhile, hardened big-race veteran Hector Fawley, returned to ‘The Creek’, setting the benchmark across the five heats of the Cyndie’s Magic over 600 metres at Albion Park on Thursday night.

There were plenty of big names chasing this newly minted trophy, but the winner of WA’s recent Sandgroper claimed victory and the quickest heat time (34.63 seconds).

Ian Cockerell, who is based South West of Melbourne with wife and fellow trainer Lisa, was pleased with Hector Fawley's run. 

“I was pretty happy with that, but I have no doubt he will improve on that run,” Cockerell said. 

“It is a bit hard to plan too far ahead with him because he is coming towards the end of his career.

“You just have to pick and choose his races, but the 600 metres is his distance obviously.

“We will see how he goes in the Final next week and then most likely we will be back for the Brisbane Cup.”

Unfazed by the throng of big names on show at 'headquarters', Tom Tzouvelis’ Scarlatti started the ball rolling for the locals, taking out the opening heat of the Cyndie’s Magic.

Out of the well-performed Superior Panama and Sherbini litter, Scarlatti pounced late to claim a three-quarters-of-a-length win over Michelle Sultana’s Black Tsunami, with Binny Doo (Robert Britton) third.

The winning time was 35.08 seconds. 

“Some really good dogs come up here at this time of the year and for our kennel to be doing so well in that company really makes you feel good,” Tzouvelis’ kennel off-sider Jedda Cutlack said. 

“In some ways Scarlatti's win was a surprise and in some ways it wasn't.

“That is what we thought she would do last week from the same box (box eight). She didn’t then, but she did this time.”

Tzouvelis also qualified second-placed runners Tagovailoa and Saanvi through to the Final.